Anti-depressants could be very useful in HIV/AIDS as these drugs appear to enhance the immune function of natural killer (NK) cells, a new study has found.
A group of researchers had previously found that stress and depression impair NK cell function and accelerate the course of HIV/AIDS.The functioning of natural killer (NK) cells, which are a major element of the innate immunity system and are involved in the body's first line of defense against infections such as HIV, is decreased in both HIV and depression.
The same group in the present study has suggested that the use of certain anti-depressant drugs may enhance NK cell activity thereby protecting against HIV/AIDS.
For the study the team recruited depressed and non-depressed HIV-infected women and studied the ex vivo effects of three drugs, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a substance P antagonist, and a glucocorticoid antagonist, on their NK cell activity.
The scientists found that the SSRI citalopram, and the substance P antagonist increased NK cell activity.
"The present findings provide evidence that natural killer cell function in HIV infection may be enhanced by selective serotonin reuptake inhibition and also by substance P antagonism in both depressed and non-depressed individuals," said Dr. Dwight Evans, corresponding author of the article.
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"Antidepressant treatments are beginning to be studied for their potential positive effects on immune function," he said
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Dr. Evans said that the findings can pave way for initiating clinical studies addressing the potential role of serotonergic agents and substance P antagonists in improving natural killer cell innate immunity, possibly delaying HIV disease progression and extending survival with HIV infection.
The report appears in the May 1st issue of Biological Psychiatry.
Source-ANI
RAS/L